Convection type radiator enclosure



June 25, 1935. H. SMITH CONVECTION TYPE RADIATOR ENCLOSURE 2' Sheets-Sheet 1 a4 a a6 Filed Sept. 23, 1932 INWENTOR Herbal BY m7 djgw gm' June 25, 1935. s n- 7 2,005,808

CONVECTION TYPE RADIATOR ENCLOSURE Filed Sept. 23, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WW r7 i 0 i i q C 1 H n l g H W 5 H g F, l M

INVENTOR Herberfi 5111161:

Patented June 25, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE 2,005,808 CONVECTION TYPE RADIATOR ENCLOSURE Herbert Smith, Clinton, Mass, assignor to Edward O. Bowers and-Charles L. Feldman, receivers for Wickwire'Spencer Steel Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 23, 1932, SerialNo, 634,491

2 Claims.

point of the heating engineer it is recognized that the so-called convection type enclosure is most efficient. In such an enclosure provision is madefor creating convection currents so that the hot airfrorn the radiating surface will constantly circulate and move into the area to be heated with minimum loss of heat units. To establish this condition the radiator enclosure should be imperforate in all portions which overlie the radiating surface except for the discharge l openings which should'be formed in the front wall adjacent the top. 7

From the users standpoint a radiator enclosure shouldbe easy to assemble in place, preferably without the use of bolts and tools, and should minimize the ill effects of dirt particles on wall- 3 paper and draperies. These conditions may be satisfied only in a construction which is essen-' tially tight in the rear and side walls and cover and in which the parts are interengaged securely by fittings which do not require securing bolts or other elements to be manipulated.

From thestandpoint of the manufacturer and dealer it is important that radiator enclosures shall be inexpensive to manufacture and capable of being shipped and stocked in knocked-down form, and that within wide limits the component units shall be interchangeable to facilitate dimensional requirements as to length and height within the ranges of standardpractices.

. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a convection type radiator enclosure whichshall satisfy all of the conditions set forth hereinbefore. In accordance with the invention the improved enclosure is formed from sheet metal parts which may be shipped in knocked-down form and assembled by the user without the use of tools or bolts, and shall be essentially air-tight and dust-tight except for the needed opening through which convection currents are discharged.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide radiator enclosures which shall have interchangeable sections of different dimensions thereby affording considerable flexibility in the packing of parts to take care of different ranges of radiator sizes. I

A further object of the invention is to provide sheet metal sections for a radiator enclosure which shall have formed therein interengaging tongues and grooves to permit the assembly by the user withoutthe employmentof tools.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an enclosure which shall be of such construction as to afford wholly adequate strength and to be trussed by the component parts including the top. a f The invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective 'of a radiator enclosure embodying the improvements as it appears whenassembled.

Figure 2 is a View in transverse section through the enclosure shown in Figure 1 and taken'onthe plane indicated by the line 2+2 of Figure 1- an looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section through one of the end panels showing front and backpanels and said end panel, the section being taken on the plane indicated by the line 33 of Figure 1 and looking in thedi'rection of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation and on a somewhat larger scale showing the relation between one end panel and the front panel, parts being broken away to show the tongue and groove engagement therebetween.

the'tongue and groove engagement between the Figure 5 is a View in front elevation of a sectional radiator enclosure embodying the improvements.

Figure 6 is a view in plan of the enclosure i1- lustratedin Figure 5, parts being broken away in the interest of clearness.

Figure 7 is a View in transverse section through the enclosure illustrated in Figure .6 andtaken on the plane indicated by the line 1- 1 thereo and looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Figure '8 is a detail sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 8-8 of Figure6 and looking in the direction of the arrows. The end panels a are formed of any suitable configuration but preferably rectangular to facilitate the stamping Openings a of somewhat ornamental outline are stamped adjacent the lower edges thereby constituting legs to bear on the floor and also open= ings to afford access to valves or the like. The end panels are identical and interchangeable.

The panel a is formed with flanges a a at its front and rear to give a paneled efiectwhen the" front and rear walls are in place and these flanges are bent rearwardly upon themselves to constitute tongues a a In these tongues may be stamped ears a bent into the channelway to form stops and forming operations;

for the front and rear panel's when assembled as will hereinafter appear more clearly.

For manufacturing reasons the front wall is preferably composed of two sections b, c. The lower of these sections b has rearwardly extending flanges b at eachside edge which flanges are reversely bent to constitute grooves b to receive the tongues a on the adjacent end panels a. The grooves as constituted by the reversely bent flange b may be relieved at intervals as shown in Figure 4 thereby interrupting the channelway into which the tongue is to enter upon assembly. This relief is afforded for the purpose of reducing the'frictional contact between the tongue at and the channelway. The upper section cof the front panel is similarly formed with channels at its side edges to receive the tongues a of the end I The ears a limit the downward move ment of the panel I) and for sightliness the lower panels.

edge of this panel will usually be aligned with the opening a in the end panel a.

The rear panel at for the radiator enclosure is formed like] the front panel sections b, 0, having inwardly turned flanges d at its side edges which are reversely bent to constitute channels d to receive the tongues a of the proximate end panels, respectively. The ears a on the tongues a limit'the downward movement of the rear panel d and'b'ringits lower edge into line with the lower edge'of the front panel b.

7 A top e is provided for-the ericlosurathis top having depending flanges e around its periphery to telescope with the side and end walls of the enclosure. 3

. From the description given it will be apparent that the component parts described may be manufactured from sheet metal by very simple operations.- The end panels are standard in form and the constituent parts are packaged and shipped in knocked-down form ready to be assembled. Thus they occupy the least space in transit and in stock. The user without skill and without tools may readily assemble the parts. The rear panel d has its channels d engaged with-the tongues a of the end panels and is slid downwardly into place until checked by the ears a The front panel I) is then engaged with the tongues a and slid downwardly into place until checked by the ears'afi. JThe upper panel 0 is then assembled in the same fashion moving downwardly until engaged with the lower front panel b. The top e is then laid on. The enclosure thus constituted is sightly and is essentially dust-proof and airtight above the lower opening in the enclosure. It is tight in the back wall and'where the cover engages the upper edge line. The upper front panel 'onby convection. Thetightness of the enclosure increases the efliciency'ofthe heating. *Dust particles such as'might discolor'the wall-paper or adjacent draperies cannot escape at the rear of the enclosure nor around the cover because the parts are'tightly closed. Heating efficiency is not impaired by escape of stray hot air currents in the rear wall or adjacent the top, The tongue and groove engagement between the parts not only gives'strength because of the extent of the engagement over all but gives that degree of tightness which is desirable to avoid leakage'of air currents and dust. There are no openings employed except the grilled opening 0 in the front panel because no hinges, slots and studs are needed. The relief given to the channels permits them to slide readily enough on the tongues during the course of assembling. The standard tongue and groove construction permits panels of different dimensions to be used interchangeably with other similar parts. The top e with thedepending flanges e telescoping with the walls of the enclosure itself constitutes a structural elementadding considerable strength in that its action is distinctly that of a truss serving to resist particularly diagonal stresses which might otherwise tend to weaken the enclosure when in use.

All of the advantages described heretofore can be realized in a radiator enclosure which is of a sectional type and all of the advantages of sec-' tional type enclosures thereby retained. As shown in Figures 5-8 the enclosure'embodying the improvements may be made up 0: two or moresections, the sections being united centrallyby means of pilasters f at the front and rear which pilasters may be of channel form to permit the union therewith of front and backsections in the identical manner described hereinbefore. The rear sections D of the sections are imperforate thereby forming an imperforate walland the front sections include the imperforate; panels B1.

and the upper perforated panel section's'C as described in connection with Figure 1. The radiation is accomplished in accordance with the prin: ciple of the invention. The end sections A have imperforate walls as described before. 'If desired] truss elements g may extend between the'iront and rear walls and centrallyof the'united sections but the inventionis not concernedwith details of such truss elements. Similarly, straps may extend. betweenthe front andrear pilasters f adjacent the lower edges thereof, suchstraps having downwardly'extending flanges h at their ends for engagementwithstraps f""on the inner faces of the 'p'ilasters. Transversely extending straps i may be supported on the'front and rear wall panels and evaporating pans" supported thereon, if desired. The top covers E of the sections are imperforate as heretofore described and they may be engaged, at their meeting edges by tongues E" and slotslii to prevent relative sliding move nent..

So far as concerns the primary objects of the invention it will be appreciated that the sectional I What I claimisz' '1. A sectional radiator enclosure having similar end panels provided with flanges having reversely turned tongues at their edges, ears carried by the tongues, a rear wall having its edges so bent as to form grooves which receive the proximate tongues and provide interlocking of the parts to prevent relative-movement thereof in all directions except the vertical, an independent front wallhaving its edges sobentas to form grooves which receive the. proximatetongues and provide interlocking of the parts to prevent; relative movement thereof in all directions except the vertical, the over-all height of the front and rear walls' being the same as the height of the end panels, and a cover having depending flanges telescoping With said Walls, respectively.

2. A sectional radiator enclosure having similar end panels provided with flanges having reversely turned tongues at their edges, a rear wall having its edges so bent as to form grooves which receive tive movement thereof in all directions except a the vertical, an independent vfront wall section having its edges so bent as to form grooves which receive the proximate tongues and adapted to rest on the first front wall section when the parts are assembled, the over-all height of the front and rear walls being the same as the height of the end panels, and a cover having depending flanges telescoping with said walls.

HERBERT SMITH. I 

